Ted Lasso
When and where: August 5, Apple TV+
What is it about? Three years after the third-season finale convinced many viewers that the series had reached its grand conclusion, and even Jason Sudeikis appeared to think so, Apple TV+’s hit comedy is returning for another season.
Season 3 ended neatly, with Ted leaving Richmond and returning home to Kansas City to be closer to his son. But Sudeikis told The Hollywood Reporter that he eventually realized he needed the show to continue. “I know I needed more of the show. I needed it as much as anyone else,” he said.
In Season 4, Ted returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s soccer team, in what Apple TV+ describes as his “biggest challenge yet.”
Who is in it? Familiar faces include Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple and Brett Goldstein. New additions include Faye Marsay and Tanya Reynolds. According to reports, Anthony Stewart Head’s character will not appear in the coming season, even though it was filmed before the actor’s recent death.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Season 2
When and where: August 5, Netflix
What is it about? The second and final part of Netflix’s lavish adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s literary masterpiece.
The acclaimed Spanish-language drama faded from public conversation fairly quickly after premiering in December 2024, despite strong reviews from critics and audiences. The second installment will follow later generations of the Buendía family and the changes transforming Macondo, covering the final 50 years of the saga and completing the adaptation.
“Every episode in this second part is like a film,” director Laura Mora said. “We took the series to another level aesthetically, narratively and also in terms of sound and music, to build a much more cinematic and emotional ending. After living in this house and this town for three years, we felt the end of the journey had to be just as large, epic and cinematic.”
Who is in it? Marleyda Soto, Claudio Cataño and other cast members return from the first season.
The Shards
When and where: August 6, Disney+
What is it about? Judging by Disney+’s trailer and official description, it looks a little like Gossip Girl, only with a serial killer added to the mix.
Based on Bret Easton Ellis’ bestselling novel, the series follows wealthy, hedonistic students at an elite Los Angeles high school in the 1980s. At its center is Bret, an intelligent teenager who wants to become a writer. His carefully ordered world begins to unravel when a mysterious and charismatic new student, Robert Mallory, arrives shortly before senior year.
At the same time, the city is being terrorized by a serial killer known as the Trawler.
Add Ryan Murphy, the producer behind Dahmer, Glee and American Horror Story, along with a story promising sex, pink cocaine and male prostitutes, and the result has obvious breakout-hit potential.
Who is in it? The young cast includes several famous offspring, among them Homer Gere and Kaia Gerber, alongside Igby Rigney, Evan Rachel Wood and Wes Bentley.
Lioness, Season 3
When and where: August 6, yes and Cellcom TV
What is it about? Taylor Sheridan’s star-heavy action drama returns for a third season.
According to the official synopsis, hidden networks, foreign agents and personal betrayals collide as CIA operative Joe, played by Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, struggles to balance her professional duty and private life while unseen forces close in and the war moves beyond the battlefield.
Saldaña has described the season as the most demanding she has filmed so far. She said the series’ strength lies in its combination of intense action and emotional drama.
“That is what I love most about the show,” she said. “I could not take part in a series that was only action, without the complex relationships between these incredible women.”
The first season received mixed reviews, while the second was received more warmly, raising expectations for the new installment.
Who is in it? Saldaña returns alongside Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman and other familiar cast members.
Monsters of God
When and where: August 6, HBO Max
What is it about? Essentially Tiger King, but with reptiles, and from the creators of Tiger King.
The five-part documentary enters the bizarre world of reptile trafficking, from snakes to Komodo dragons.
“Most people fear reptiles. A few are fascinated by them. And a handful will stop at nothing to obtain them,” the official synopsis says.
Collectors call the obsession “the fever,” an endless drive to find creatures that are larger, rarer and more dangerous. According to the series, that fixation has created a multibillion-dollar criminal empire spanning six continents and five decades.
With a trailer full of eccentric characters and a thoroughly strange story, the series may have found its answer to Joe Exotic.
Lanterns
When and where: August 16, HBO Max
What is it about? A new series set in the rebooted DC universe overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Gunn has said the Green Lantern Corps will play an important role in the new cinematic universe, with Lanterns forming part of its opening chapter, titled “Gods and Monsters.”
Based on the comics, the series follows new recruit John Stewart and veteran Lantern Hal Jordan, two intergalactic law-enforcement officers drawn into a dark Earth-based mystery while investigating a murder in the American heartland.
Online discussion has suggested that the series may resemble the brooding crime drama True Detective more than a conventional superhero show.
Who is in it? Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre and Nathan Fillion lead the cast.
Let’s Marry Harry
When and where: August 5, Netflix
What is it about? Reality-TV fans, assemble. Netflix is launching another dating show, this time built around Harry Jowsey, known from Too Hot to Handle and Perfect Match.
Jowsey has apparently decided that the games and casual hookups are over. He now wants marriage, a house, three children and a dog with the woman he loves.
Naturally, the way to find her is through another Netflix dating competition.
Jowsey will choose among 20 women ages 23 to 33 in search of “the one.”
“Having my own show is obviously incredible, but the greatest feeling is knowing that my Netflix family will stop at nothing to help me find the love of my life,” he told Tudum.
Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats
When and where: August 7, Netflix
What is it about? Ricky Gervais plays a fat, rude and pampered alley cat, which may be the most natural casting decision of the year.
The British comedian and creator of the original The Office has created an uninhibited animated series about a group of cats trying to help a lost kitten find its way home.
“I hope you like cats. And swearing,” Gervais said before the first two episodes premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where they received positive reviews.
That line appears to sum up the entire series.
Who is in it? The voice cast includes Gervais, Jo Hartley and Diane Morgan.
The Chosen in the Wild With Bear Grylls
When and where: August 9, Amazon Prime Video
What is it about? Have you ever wanted to watch Jesus rappel down a cliff? Then this may be the show for you.
The new survival reality series earned its place on this list largely because it is so strange that it demands attention.
Stars of The Chosen, the Christian historical drama about the life of Jesus that became a global phenomenon, join Bear Grylls for challenges including parachute jumps, rock climbing and eating scorpions.
According to the synopsis, the participants will navigate some of the toughest terrain in the United States under Grylls’ guidance.
Who is in it? The Chosen stars Jonathan Roumie, Paras Patel, Elizabeth Tabish, Noah James and Luke Dimyan appear alongside series creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins.
Outer Banks, Season 5
When and where: August 20, Netflix
What is it about? Netflix’s hit young-adult adventure series reaches its conclusion.
The show, which follows the rival Kooks and Pogues, premiered in 2020 and became an international hit during the coronavirus lockdowns.
Season 5 begins shortly after the previous finale and reunites viewers with John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, Cleo and Rafe.
Chandler Groff, who murdered JJ in front of his friends at the end of Season 4, remains free as the group vows to avenge his death. At the same time, the Pogues have found Blackbeard’s Blue Crown, which legend says can bring the dead back to life, raising the possibility that Kiara may try to resurrect JJ.
Who is in it? Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss and the other young stars return for the final season.
Also worth watching
Futurama Season 14 arrives on Disney+ on August 3. Amazon Prime Video’s popular action series Reacher returns for a fourth season on August 12.
Netflix will release the third season of the teen drama My Life with the Walter Boys on August 6. On August 20, it will also premiere Blood Sacrifice, a Swedish crime thriller created by George Kay, who also developed the hit series Lupin.